Chapter 163: What Kind of Monster Is This?!

They looked at Yan Shu’s expression and instantly changed. Not only fear, but also shock and disbelief filled their faces.

Yan Shu took a step forward, and the four men, faces pale with terror, each retreated two steps! It was as if what Yan Shu extended was not a foot, but the hand of death itself.

Yan Shu hadn’t expected that a single heavenly thunderbolt could frighten them into such a state.

Strike while the iron is hot!

If she did not act now, then when?

Narrowing her eyes, Yan Shu immediately summoned the Infernal Red Lotus!

Once the red lotus appeared, the hellfire surged forth directly toward the four men. Suddenly, one of them shouted, “No! It’s the Red Lotus Hellfire!”

At the shout, the four men immediately withdrew together. By now, they had lost all will to fight, let alone to kill!

Only terror remained in their hearts. What kind of freak was this, who could command the very laws of heaven and wield the power of karmic hellfire that consumed all?

Not even their ranks—Cultivation Gods or Nascent Souls—nor even those at the Great Ascension or Tribulation stages, could possibly withstand this!

The four retreated to stand beside Dongfang Shang, clutching him as they tried to flee. “Go!”

“Think you can escape?!” Yan Shu snorted coldly and cracked the thunder whip in her hand!

The whip suddenly transformed midair into a thunder dragon, crackling with lightning as it shot straight toward them.

None of the four had ever seen a whip that could become a dragon, and their hearts almost broke with despair!

First the heavenly thunder, then the hellfire that burned everything, and now a thunder whip that turned into a dragon!

What kind of monster had they provoked?!

They had completely lost any will to fight or even resist. Their only thought was to flee!

But even with Dongfang Shang in tow, their speed could not compare to the golden-haired dragon.

With a mighty effort, the golden dragon became almost a bolt of lightning in the sky, blocking their path in the blink of an eye. It opened its great maw and roared so fiercely that the men nearly lost their footing and fell from their flying swords.

Yan Shu gathered her hands and commanded, “Bind them!”

The golden dragon roared again, and with a flash of lightning, it wrapped around the four men tightly.

Just as it was about to coil them into a bundle, a sudden change occurred. The highest-ranking among the four, a Cultivation God, leaped off his flying sword and soared upward, brandishing a long sword as he shouted fiercely, striking down hard at the golden dragon.

Cornered and desperate, the rabbit bites when pressed, and people at the brink of death often unleash hidden power—especially one whose cultivation was higher than Yan Shu’s.

Seeing this, Yan Shu didn’t hesitate to order the golden dragon to dodge.

The man wielding the sword glared at the golden dragon floating in the air; his eyes gradually turned red as he stirred his vital blood to enhance his cultivation.

He was going all out!

Yan Shu wanted to shout, “There’s no need, brother!”

But the man deemed it necessary. He unleashed his vital blood, boosting his power, and swung his sword fiercely at the golden dragon.

Clang! Clang! The golden dragon met his attack head-on.

At that moment, Xiao Jihan, standing behind Yan Shu, suddenly soared into the air, flying sword in hand, rushing toward the man.

With Xiao Jihan’s arrival, the golden dragon’s pressure lessened significantly. Yan Shu then retracted the Infernal Red Lotus and prepared to assist Xiao Jihan.

Meanwhile, the three men protecting Dongfang Shang made a move—they intended to slip away quietly.

Yan Shu ascended swiftly, summoning the golden dragon to block their escape.

She knew that if she fought them head-on, she could not defeat all three. So she ordered the golden dragon to attack Dongfang Shang and his protectors, while she herself engaged the other two with her flying sword.

Two against one, the two men should have easily crushed Yan Shu. But terrified by the heavenly thunder and hellfire, they fought more to save themselves than to attack, allowing Yan Shu to press them hard.

All the pressure fell on Xiao Jihan’s shoulders.

Yet, as expected of the protagonist, even facing a stronger opponent who was augmenting his power with vital blood, he showed no sign of weakness—in fact, he grew more valiant as the battle wore on.

After all, vital blood enhancement was not sustainable; the longer the fight dragged on, the more disadvantageous it became for them.

Suddenly, Dongfang Shang roared, “Transform the whip into a dragon! You are Yan Shu!”

The moment those words left his mouth, the man fighting Xiao Jihan froze. Seizing the opportunity, Xiao Jihan thrust his sword forward. The man hurriedly blocked, managing to deflect the sword’s momentum but not the sword’s qi, and was sent crashing to the ground, coughing up fresh blood.

The men battling Yan Shu were also stunned, suddenly realizing the truth.

Of course!

Only a rare prodigy, blessed by the Heavenly Dao and tempered to the point of even refining their spiritual roots, like Yan Shu, could command heavenly thunder and wield such dreadful power.

Before, they had scoffed at the rumors that Yan Shu was favored by the Heavenly Dao, that she was thrust into a secret realm and forced to take on the opportunities therein.

Cultivators fought against heaven and earth; no one had ever heard of the Heavenly Dao forcibly handing down fate.

But now, they believed it.

Their gazes toward Yan Shu shifted—not just fear, but reverence.

Yan Shu stood poised on the wind, sword in hand, her white robes shimmering under the moonlight, accentuating the vibrant bamboo green on her chest.

She smiled faintly at the men. “Since you know who I am, you must not be allowed to stay.”

She raised her hand, like a divine summoner calling the wind and rain, and shouted, “Thunder…”

“Wait!”

The man who had been knocked to the ground quickly rose, flying up to her and respectfully clasping his fists. “Leader Yan, we mean no offense. We were only sent to kill the fiancée of Yu Wenche—who deceived him. Had we known you were Leader Yan, we would never have dared to come.”

“Killed Yu Wenche’s fiancée on someone’s orders?” Yan Shu frowned and pointed at Dongfang Shang. “Was it on his command?”

Dongfang Shang hurriedly shook his head. “Not me!”

Yan Shu’s frown deepened, but this was not her primary concern. Whoever wanted Yu Wenche’s fiancée dead was certainly tangled in a love affair. What concerned her was something else.

She looked at the men and said, “You may leave, but Dongfang Shang must stay.”

At this, the men exchanged glances in hesitation.

“Refuse?” Yan Shu raised an eyebrow. “That’s fine. I had meant to hide my identity and keep you alive as witnesses, so I held back. But if you don’t want to leave…”

She stretched out her hand, and the golden dragon let out a roar, appearing at her side, standing tall and watching them with a fierce gaze.

“Then you won’t be going anywhere!”

Having said this, Yan Shu pretended to summon thunder again. The men quickly pleaded, “Leader Yan, have mercy!”

Yan Shu withdrew her hand, adopting the demeanor of a master. “Have you made your decision? My patience is limited!”

The men exchanged looks, and the one who had spoken bowed to Dongfang Shang. “Prince, thank you for being here. We will carry the news out for you.”

“I doubt you will get out.”

Suddenly, the concealed Demon King appeared, stepping on the wind and approaching swiftly.

Yesterday, only four watches were done before dawn; I’ll update again in a couple of days~ Mwah, love you all~